Thunder captain getting in air miles

STOCKTON - Brad Farynuk has spent almost as much time in airports as he has in hockey rinks recently, and he admits his coast-to-coast travels have been tiring.

Scott Linesburgh

STOCKTON - Brad Farynuk has spent almost as much time in airports as he has in hockey rinks recently, and he admits his coast-to-coast travels have been tiring.

But he won't let jet lag get in the way when he tries to help the Stockton Thunder beat the Alaska Aces at 8:15 p.m. today at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, Alaska.

Farynuk, the Thunder's 26-year-old captain and all-star defenseman, has piled on plenty of frequent-flyer miles the past two weeks, traveling between Stockton and its American Hockey League affiliate, the Springfield (Mass.) Falcons.

"I know I'm supposed to be going to Alaska now, and I'm headed the right way," Farynuk said with a laugh at a layover in Seattle on Tuesday afternoon.

Farynuk's trips have come as the result of injuries with the Falcons. It's not uncommon for players with ties to NHL and AHL teams to move between teams, but Farynuk's schedule has been hectic by any standard.

He has been called up to Springfield and sent back to the Thunder four times, and has traveled almost 18,000 miles between Sacramento International Airport and Bradley International Airport in Enfield, Conn., since early October.

His last two trips to Springfield and back to the Thunder (14-16-2) happened within the past six days.

"I'm up for whatever needs to be done, but it can be draining and I wouldn't mind getting a couple of games in one place to get some confidence back," Farynuk said.

"It's definitely been a long week."

He returned to Stockton on Jan. 2 from Springfield and was taking a nap on the couch two days later when his roommate, Geoff Paukovich, told him Thunder coach Chris Cichocki had called his cell phone. Another former Thunder player, Sebastien Bisaillon, was injured when he suffered a nasty gash on his right leg while playing for Springfield. Farynuk once again was going to the airport.

On Monday, Farynuk made the trip again, arriving in Stockton at 1 a.m. Tuesday and catching a bus to the airport at 6:15 a.m.

"Now that I think about it, I should have probably just stayed up near the airport," Farynuk said.

Cichocki said he doesn't see how all the travel wouldn't affect a player, and it may figure into how much he uses Farynuk against the Aces (18-11-3).

"His internal clock just has to be out of whack, " Cichocki said. "All that travel has to catch up to you and affect your body, so we'll see how he feels. But it's great to have him back."

Farynuk says he's ready as the Thunder embarks on a three-game series today, Friday and Saturday.

"We're here to win," Farynuk said, "and, hopefully, I can get some sleep."